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A Series of Unfortunate Events

By Adam Nagourney May 19, 2008 10:46 amMay 19, 2008 10:46 am

“When it comes time to recount the story of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s descent from inevitable nominee to defeat at the hands of Senator Barack Obama — assuming that is how this ends up — there is no shortage of mistakes by the Clinton campaign to put on the what-went-wrong list,” Adam Nagourney writes in his column today.

Here, in no particular order, are some of the factors and developments that undercut her candidacy, some self-inflicted, others inflicted upon her.

It was unfortunate that she decided to run on her husband’s coat tails. When all is said and done, if she wants to position herself for another try she has to get rid of him. This repulsive man is one of the main culprits for her wrecked campaign.

We’re supposed to have pity for her poorly run campaign? They spent money like there was no tomorrow and had no ground game prepared for after February 5th. There is no excuse for her poorly run campaign and to blame it on Drudge or NPR is lame at best.

Mr. Obama ran the better campaign and outspent her because he had more money. It’s natural. Plus, he believed in Mr. Dean’s 50-state strategy, which is finally paying off. Obama did not ignore the small states and they re-paid him with 11 victories in a row. This will continue with Oregon, South Dakota and Montana in the days to come.

Clinton’s politics of division and 50%+1 are of the past, and the country is moving past it.

I wonder why every one assumes that Hillary is to be pitied. The intractable problems left by Bush have no easy solutions. Any one in the Presidency will fail and betray the campaign promises.
The Obama candidacy is based on endorsements from losers like Kerry, Kennedy, Dodd, Richardson, Edwards, and you name it. Move on.org has collected enough money for Obama – American politics is about money and hupla and not about issues. When Hillary brought up issues she was laughed off because it takes time and effort to understand them. Where are the Clowns, Bring on the Clowns.

I normally find Adam Nagourney’s political analyis quite insightful. This particular article, however, seems almost like it was written in jest, or by someone else. There are several things that led to Ms. Clinton’s political demise as a presidential candidate. Some of the items listed here, such as not tipping in a restaurant, and not being able to handle the Drudge report, were so minor as to be relatively inconsequential.

I am a supporter for Hillary Clinton from Pennsylvania. My objectives for blogging in your state are simple. I believe when you open your minds and listen carefully to both candidates, their plans and further keep a watch for who is free of pure political motivation; you will also stand behind Hillary Clinton. She has been a putting herself out on the line for the American people for decades and continues to do so for all Americans and for our children. If you have any questions or doubts, you can read or watch her message to your state at Hillaryclinton.com. If you want unbiased media coverage I also suggest either the BBC American news or the Associated Press and generally those new agencies are offering facts most of the time.
Thank you for supporting Hillary all the way!

The tip story is symptomic, and the ‘clarification’ was only that the Clinton camp claimed to have paid a tip, when it’s pretty clear they didn’t. Given that in the months since, the campaign has left a trail of unpaid bills to small businesses across the country, while Clinton keeps her $100m, it’s pretty clear that the campaign was, and is, imperious and entitled – the “little people” have to shift for themselves once the photo-op is done

I no longer care why she lost. Clinton defines the term “sore loser,” at this point. Just go away, Hillary, far, far away. Take Bill with you. Move to Saudi Arabia, maybe your buddies there will take you in.

Anyone who is thinking VP for Clinton, just think about the past year and contemplate eight more years of that.

Or how about the fact that, despite all her claims of “experience,” Clinton ran her campaign poorly and drove it $20 million in the hole?

Or that she wasn’t bashing the media when they had anointed her the front-runner 6 months ago, and said that it “would all be over” by Feb. 5, and said that Michigan and Florida “wouldn’t count”, but now is doing the reverse of all of these in desperation?

Or how about the fact that she always claimed the race would be decided by delegates, but is now claiming popular vote leads in the fuzziest of math scenarios?

Or is it simply that Barack Obama, whose inspiring candidacy resonated with millions of people tired of 16 years of spin, is the better candidate and best equipped to lead our country?

Interesting. The article lists “Bill Clinton” as one of the “unfortunate events” that hurt Hillary Clinton’s campaign. I guess that’s true, if you set aside the fact that the only reason any of us have ever heard of Hillary Clinton is because her husband was president.

I would add: Senator Clinton’s inability to find “her voice.” She claimed to have found it in NH but then veered far and wide from it in the following weeks, trying various methods to unseat her opponent that ranged from angry (“Shame on you!”) to condescending (all he has is a speech against the war) to sarcastic (“And the heavens will open up…”) to reasoned (his health care isn’t as good as mine – he’s not as experienced as me) to pleading (starting every speech with a plug for donating to the website – claiming he can’t win white voters below a certain education and income level, but she can [see, Superdelegates?]) Those of us who had admired her for so long were surprised, to say the least, to see her behave so erratically, and I think it hurt her on the national stage politically and personally.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. The thing that undercut Hillary Clinton’s run for the presidency was her mud-slinging, pandering and lying. The electorate is sick to death of negative politics. Every time she twisted something Obama said for political purposes or had her surrogates flog the Rev. Wright non-controversy or made a comment about all Obama ever did was “make a speech” people inexorably drifted away from her. Every time she took a transparently political position such as with the gas tax people inexorably drifted away from her. And every time she tried to make it seem that John McCain would be a better president than Barak Obama Democrats ran away from her. She was not a victim of circumstances. She was and is a product of tone-deaf old school politics.

The column yesterday in the Times written by a woman that asked what she should tell her daughters about Clinton’s failed run placed it in terms of gender inequality. A more genuine take on it leads one to tell her daughters two things: Don’t lie and be nice.

In the end, the biggest problem of Team Hillary, the root of almost all their problems was arrogance. They thought they could cakewalk into a coronation and forgot that Democratic voters can actually think independently and vote accordingly.

The fact she had the backing of most state machines, automatic backing of over 120 Superdelegates before any primaries started, more money, superior name recognition, and a voting base of close to 60% female and she lost to a freshman African American Senator who almost no one had heard of on a national level before 2004 says tells me exactly how pathetic her campaign is and how weak and candidate she is.

someday people are going to have to acknowledge that, while Hillary Clinton was a formidable candidate, Barack Obama was also an extremely talented opponent. She may have come in with nearly every advantage imaginable and made more than her share of missteps, but is serves nothing if we fail to acknowledge that she was fighting a tough opponent. She’s quite a fighter (as she reminds us 5 times in every sentence she utters) but so is he.

She has not lost yet….She is the only candidate that can beat John McCain in Nov. A vote for Obama is a vote for McCain..If you want a Democrat for President you should vote for the one that can win. Not who you like best. Our Country is at stake here. Our Soldiers lives are at stake here. Our economy is at stake here…HRC 08′..

she now has not managed her campaign properly along with not managing to get health care back in her husband’s administration. both prove that all she can do is talk but can’t managing anything. that’s why we need campaigns
good luck with your life with Bill or is a diroce on the way

1. started with an entitlement attitude
2. too sure of her self to knock Obama down on Feb. 5 to the point of fantasy she didn’t plan well beyond that
3. used her husband halo
4. catch up on many subjects and missed the most important one – campaign abstractive motto
5. point out what are wrong with other instead of having a leading leadership message

I agree complete with those who say how a candidate runs a campaign will be indicative of what kind of President they will be. I just can’t see how Hillary can argue she will be a better candidate in the general after Obama so gracefully outdid her in the primaries.

It’s disappointing that this article doesn’t cover the bigger picture strategical blunders that the campaign suffered. The horrible financial non-management of Solis-Doyle (a classic example of a loyalty pick gone terribly awry), or the utter failure to plan or prepare for the states beyond Super Tuesday were likely bigger blunders than any of the small tactical problems listed in the article that ultimately happen to every campaign.

In no particular order: You forgot her vote on the invasion of Iraq; you forgot her shift to the right thinking the Dem base had no choice but to follow her. You forgot that she has trashed every segment of the Dem base except for her die-hard women and the “hardworking” Whites (who were actually voting for WJ).

You forgot the lies about Obama and his choice record she emailed to voters right before the NH primary. You forgot cozying up to McCain at the expense of her fellow Democrat. You forgot bittergate and Wright, all promoted by theclintons.

You forgot that the majority of Democrats want to reclaim the values of the party from the triangulating shift to the right ushered in by Bill Clinton. You forgot that many people of both parties do not want to see another family dynasty ruling the country.

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